Jim McMahon/Mapman
Every year, about 800 people attempt to climb Mount Everest—the world’s tallest mountain, located along the border of Nepal and China. These climbers leave the mountain littered with waste, including used ropes, tents, and oxygen tanks. Now Nepal has a new way to remove some of that trash: drones. The FlyCart 30 is a flying robot designed to withstand Everest’s high altitudes, freezing temperatures, and strong winds. After a test run in 2024, the drone was used for a 25-day mission last spring. It carried 2,775 pounds of gear up and garbage down!
The hike to and from Everest’s summit can be deadly. Carrying trash down the mountain can be a safety issue for humans—but not for drones. “This is a great example of how drones can take people out of dangerous scenarios,” says Christina Harvey, an engineer who studies drones at the University of California, Davis.